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| April 18, 2024, 11:08:25 PM |
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: David Bowie R.I.P.
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on: January 12, 2016, 10:58:30 PM
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I've rambled on here before about how when guys like this leave us, they have no way of knowing all the little ways they touched the world. I was never a huge Bowie fan, but of course enjoyed his music whenever I heard it, just never really got into him in a huge way.
Anyways, I own a video game store. We're located on this little downtown street, and we sell arcade games, etc. So, the locals sometimes tell us these stories, one guy came in several years ago and let us know that our street (1 block long) used to have a bar, back in the day, called "Godzillas" ! They had pool tables, and pinball machines like we have, he couldn't remember exactly which building it was.
A couple years later, a guy lets us know that the church owned a couple buildings too, and one also had arcade games, and pinball machines in it, couldn't remember exactly which building.
About a year ago, a woman came in and told us about how she used to come down here, and there was this one building that had an awesome bar in it, she couldn't remember exactly which building either. Anyways, she talks about how she used to go down there, and all her friends would be there, they'd play pool, they'd drink, they'd play the jukebox so loud the walls would shake. She's telling us how much she misses that place, she met her husband there, etc.
So, the name of the bar? "Young Americans". Her favorite place back in the late 70's.
People like David Bowie never understand their immense contribution to the world, even though it's just music it has the ability to make people feel joy and makes life that much better. He never knew about that place, how could he? Making that song though inspired some guy's bar, which inspired people that used to visit it, and people still talk about it. I'm talking about it right now.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: What bands should settle differences and get together one more time?
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on: January 11, 2016, 10:19:41 AM
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Definitely Journey, just because Steve Perry being on the sidelines for the last 20 years is one of the biggest tragedies in the history of Rock & Roll, that guy's voice is 1 of a kind and each year that goes by we have less of a chance of ever hearing him do something spectacular again.
I have to agree, though, with the people above who mentioned that if they don't want to work together it's understandable, I don't work and don't want to work with people I know for 40 years either, there's a time for everything and even the Beatles could only keep it together for 8 or 9 years.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Beach Boys Through The Mail Autographs
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on: January 07, 2016, 11:41:26 PM
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I love pro wrestling, and actually bought a couple autographs off ebay, from the actual female wrestlers themselves. $15 or $20, I can't remember... one of them, Angelina Love, when I got the photo not only had she signed it, but she filled out the envelope it was mailed in too, lol.
I guess most musicians are probably big enough though that they don't sell their signatures on ebay...
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Correct Speeds
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on: January 03, 2016, 02:38:21 PM
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Might be an interesting thread to mention this on.... did you know that the older jukeboxes almost consistently played the songs at the wrong speed? I work on vintage jukeboxes, and the wurlitzers in particular run too fast. It's annoying as hell, but it's how they were designed... I guess they thought it would make them sound more exciting, but to anybody who knows the songs or has played music they all play off key!
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: New Hank Williams movie!
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on: January 02, 2016, 09:26:24 AM
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I'll give it a go. He's a good actor. If I want to hear the real Hank, I'll dust off the recordings. Always thought Hank III was a bit of a joke anyhow. A really lucky guy.
I will too. People praised Joaquin Phoenix's singing in "Walk the line" (for whatever reason - I still wonder why they didn't use Cash's recordings. Maybe they thought "Well, he doesn't look like Johnny, so he doesn't have to sound like him either...") so I would be surprised if anyone really compares about Hiddleston's singing (although it's obvious that he's not a singer). BTW here's a live performance of "Hey good lookin'" by Hiddleston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9DgMtEiZlEand him singing "Why don't you love me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZSEFZmBsIQI don't know about the source for this. And I don't really mind the accent from what I've seen in the trailer. It is ok. That said, if it goes into cinemas worldwide, I will probably see a german synchronisation before I get to watch the original anyway. And the more I get to know about Hank III the more I agree. Hank jr. has that laughable side in him as well (but boy, that son-of-a-gun seems to play any instrument you hand him!). But he also wrote some songs that almost hold up to his daddy's imo. Hank III looks and sounds a lot like Hank sr. but all of his behaviour and attitude etc. is ridiculous. Now if his music would justify it, that would be another thing. But as far as I got to know his stuff (and I'd be happy to change my mind about that) he just seems like a Hank-wannabe. It must be hard though to have to grow up in the shadows of Hank Williams. And in case of Hank III in the shadows of Hank sr. and Hank jr. From the little I heard, I probably much more prefer Holly Williams (daughter of Hank sr.). She at least doesn't try to be her granddaddy, although some of her stuff is too mainstream Nashville-country imo. And let's not talk about Jett Williams' singing too much...  I agree, Holly is where the talent went. Hank Jr. is incredibly talented though, probably more so than his father in about any number of ways, but Sr. was the one who started it all... Basically the way I see it Hank Jr. couldn't get out from his fathers shadow, he even had to dress like him as a teenager for shows his mom set up. So even when he went more into his 'outlaw' stuff he still had this looming homage of his father everywhere, he mentions Sr. in practically every song. This held him back a little bit but was pretty much unescapable so he embraced it and did what he could with it. Probably the most talented Williams... Hank III basically tried to run a gimmick to escape, but yet still use the legacy, so he tries to make everything have a punk or rockabilly vibe to it. This limits his music so much that it makes it all sound like a cover band doing a pastiche or something Holly Williams is able to shine because she's a female so that separates her from the obvious comparisons and allows her to show off the songwriting side. Also she has the best voice, obviously, of any of them. I like that she doesn't try to write like her family, she just writes with the same inspiration as her family, it gives her a pretty authentic sound. I just wish she'd get more opportunities, I think she could be running Nashville given a little more exposure. She's go the talent, the songwriting, the singing, the look, and the story. |
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: How about a Bread discussion?
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on: January 01, 2016, 08:14:27 AM
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I've probably mentioned this before on a thread, but cant' remember. When I was in High School, me and a friend would get together and were learning to play guitar. He was better than I was, I never got very good because i'm left handed and didn't want to play a lefty guitar, so I always played right handed, which doesn't work as well because I don't have the dexterity in my picking hand.
Anyways. One of his favorite bands was "Bread", he was a more relaxed laid back guy then me, and he had a knack for figuring out songs by just listening to them. Even note for note solos, etc. I basically just got decent at playing hillbilly chords.
He lived with his grandparents, who always supported everything he did because his parents weren't very good role models. Anyways, a few years went by and his grandfather passed away. So we all went tot he funeral, and my friend and his dad got up in front of 100 people and sang "Everything I own" at the old man's funeral, with him playing it on guitar.
It was so uncomfortably sad, probably the saddest thing I've ever seen in person. Really beautiful, though...
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Finally! Chicago's getting in the RRHoF 2016!
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on: December 31, 2015, 09:39:16 PM
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I watched a few youtube videos, he's kind of lost a step (he's really old) but how could they not have him do "25 or 6 to 4"... fuzz bass and all! They should just make it a 15 minute long jam or something.
If there's no bad blood, maybe he's just holding out for a big reunion paycheck or something. Watching his youtube videos to be honest I don't really like his style, overly dramatic .. it's like he takes the beautiful parts of his songs (I like his voice) and makes them so shmaltzy it loses the song for me... He sounds good on the rockers, though...
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Aretha Franklin's tribute to Carole King
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on: December 31, 2015, 12:19:24 AM
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I was about to post this same thing! Simply an amazing performance.
A couple things about Aretha that are so cool....
1. the way she swags out to the piano like a single mom swags to her job waiting tables at Chili's. 'Well, i'm here, traffic was a bitch. Who's got my apron???" Aretha shows up for work and lays her handbag down like she just punched a time clock.
2. The way she insists, and has for years, on not singing the entire chorus in some songs (she sticks to it pretty good on this one, though). She literally cannot be bothered to finish certain sentences. She has a choir of 4 or 5 holla back girls to do it for her, she does all the heavy lifting, let them finish the last few syllables or whatever.
3. The way she wears an old school bougie ass fur coat out. Deal with it.
She just has a style that will never be duplicated. The "Queen of Soul" is almost too small of a title for her...
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: New Xmas Single from Al
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on: December 29, 2015, 09:04:29 PM
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One of the great mysteries to me will always be why a guy like Al Jardine (there are many other examples in pop music) can be so damn talented, a great singer, decent songwriter.... why a guy like him never made it big solo.
The only way I reconcile it in my mind, and this goes for pretty much all the beach boys including Brian... is that they're all kind of amateurs. Best music ever, best singers ever, but they never really did things in a professional way in my opinion. Not because they are irresponsible or anything, they show up when they say they will, they treat their fans with respect, they're authentic... but they've always kind of been self-taught and seem to out of of their way to NOT make smart business decisions that might move them towards a bigger market.
So you end up with situations like having a 70 something Al Jardine who sounds better than 90% of the musicians on the radio but yet he doesn't appear to be making any money off of it. Whole thing is just strange.
Meanwhile Mick Jagger could probably make millions of dollars doing a solo show somewhere. Steve Perry has been retired for 20 years, would probably make 10mil plus if he did a show somewhere. Al sounds better than both.
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